Canada officials launch investigation into Titan submersible implosion incident
Canadian safety officials have announced that a probe would be launched into the recent implosion of the Titan submersible that went missing in the Atlantic Ocean on Sunday during an expedition to the Titanic wreck. Canada's Transportation Safety Board (TSB) has said the safety probe would seek to determine the circumstances surrounding the tragedy that led to the death of all five people onboard.
Why does this story matter?
The United States (US) Coast Guard had initiated a massive search operation after the submersible lost contact with the mother ship—the Canadian cargo ship Polar Prince—on Sunday, almost an hour and 45 minutes after its descent off the coast of Cape Cod, Massachusetts. Later, on Thursday, it was revealed that the Titan submersible suffered a "catastrophic implosion" during its descent, killing everyone onboard.
First known fatalities in over 60 years of deep-sea exploration
According to the news agency Reuters, officials also revealed that a safety team had been dispatched to St. John's, Newfoundland, approximately 640km north of the incident site, to gather necessary information and interview people. It is worth noting that this tragedy also marked the first known fatalities in over six decades of civilian deep-sea exploration.
Victims of Titan submersible implosion
Reportedly, the four passengers who lost their lives in the tragic incident included British explorer and billionaire Hamish Harding, French oceanographer Paul-Henri Nargeolet, and Pakistani-born businessman Shahzada Dawood and his 19-year-old son Suleman. Stockton Rush, the founder and chief executive officer of OceanGate Expeditions, the company that owned the ill-fated submersible, was also onboard and died in the incident.
Safety concerns flagged by experts, industry players
Preeminent deep-sea experts, explorers, and others, including Hollywood director James Cameron—who undertook 33 submersible dives to the Titanic wreck—have flagged the safety protocols implemented by OceanGate for underwater excursions. The absence of industry certification and other safety problems were reportedly first brought to attention during a 2018 industry symposium and highlighted in a lawsuit filed by the former head of marine operations of OceanGate.
Lack of government regulations in international waters
Moreover, no government regulations in international waters have reportedly allowed companies like OceanGate to function independently, raising questions regarding the certifications and standards needed for such deep-sea endeavors. Meanwhile, OceanGate is yet to address queries on their lack of industry credentials and other safety matters.
US Navy detected Titan submersible implosion days ago: Report
On the other hand, The Wall Street Journal earlier reported that the US Navy detected the submersible's potential implosion on Sunday on its underwater sound monitoring devices. "The US Navy conducted an analysis of acoustic data and detected an anomaly consistent with an implosion or explosion in the general vicinity of where the Titan submersible was operating when communications were lost," revealed an official.
